PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Felix Merquez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Kevin Durant (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Chooooooooon! I think Merquez might be my favorite fighter, now he's come out to Mind Da Gap feat. Valete - Não Pára. Felix Merquez has the better chin. Will he look to stand and bang today?

Merquez
vs
Durant

177 cm
20
193 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

195 cm
19
185 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

BJJ Purple Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

BJJ Brown Belt
Basic striking
Intelligent

Charlie Wang's Tattered Rags & 95% Laundry

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Felix Merquez!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Kevin Durant!
The judges for this bout are , Don Winkell and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
A looping hook to the body misses from Durant. Merquez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Durant throws a big shot that misses.
Merquez swings for the body but Durant moves out of range.
Durant pivots, looking for a leg kick but Merquez is out of range and Durant settles back down.
Merquez throws a hook to the body but it doesn't connect.
Merquez throws a head kick but Durant moves out of range.
Merquez stuffs the takedown.

Durant looking to score a takedown here. Merquez is defending well but Durant drives through and ends up in Merquez's guard.
The referee is pacing around the two fighters - he looks like he's thinking about a standup.
Merquez has a closed guard, preventing anything of note from happening. Perhaps he's looking to stall.
Durant trying to control but Merquez is working from the bottom.
Durant throwing strikes from guard but Merquez blocks nicely.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Merquez trying to control the position.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durant working some ground and pound from guard but it's not doing any damage.

Merquez had isolated an arm as going for a kimura. Durant defends it easily.
Merquez wants to stand and escape but Durant is having none of it.
Durant is a painfully thin specimen of a man. You do wonder whether a good body kick would snap him clean in two.
Merquez keeping full guard, as Durant tries to pass.
Durant trying to land body shots but he keeps hitting the mat.

Merquez has his foot on Durant's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Durant works his way back into a safe position though.
Durant working in close now, lands a nice elbow to the side of Merquez's head.
Merquez utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Merquez might be looking to lock onto one of his opponent's long limbs for a submission, whilst we're on the ground.
Merquez keeping moving, preventing Durant from controlling successfully.
Durant slips effortlessly into side control - very nice.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Durant is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Merquez is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Durant misses with a strike but at least he's keeping busy, looking to cause some damage - that will still help him when it comes to the judges scorecards.

Durant tries for a kimura but Merquez is defending well.

Durant goes for an armbar here - this could be all over! But no, Merquez has escaped beautifully and is now on top in side control! Oh, that's unlucky for Durant but great work by Merquez.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Durant tries to slip a leg under to move to half guard but Merquez presses down on the leg and jumps into full mount!
Durant gets back to half guard.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Merquez looks to land a strike but Durant avoids it nicely and regains full guard.
Merquez chips away with some ground and pound.
Merquez tries to free his leg and advance position but Durant is retaining full guard.

Durant is looking for a guillotine. You can't force these things though and Merquez defends well.
Merquez trying to control but Durant is working from the bottom.

Merquez avoids a guillotine attempt easily.
Durant has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.
Merquez wants to control from the top but Durant keeps moving.

Durant is looking for a triangle but Merquez pushes his legs off easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Durant is throwing his legs up, looking for submissions. Merquez is aware though and is defending well.
Durant has momentary wrist control but Merquez slips an elbow through the middle.

Durant escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Merquez gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Merquez looking to pass the guard.

Durant working away from the bottom but not quite defensive enough there because Merquez has passed into half guard!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Merquez is trying to control the action in half guard but Durant is working away on the bottom, looking perhaps to get back to full guard.
Merquez passes to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Kevin Durant dominated that round.
The fighters' corners scream their final instructions, as the referee calls time. Here we go, back to the action!

Durant throws a right and a left that Merquez avoids nicely.
Merquez takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Durant pushing out the jab but it's not landing.
Merquez throws a leg kick but Durant sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Durant misses with a body punch
and Merquez makes him pay by landing a nice hook to the body before moving out of range.
Merquez tries to score with a leg kick but it misses it's target.
Merquez misses with the combination.
Durant shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Merquez as he avoids it easily.
Durant uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Merquez.
Merquez avoids a lazy jab quite easily.
Merquez takes a swing at Durant's ribcage but misses.
Merquez fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Durant manages to avoid it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
The fighters circling - Merquez throws out the jab but it was never going to land.
Durant swings for the body but Merquez moves out of range.
Durant shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Durant has his takedown stuffed
and Merquez counters with a good low kick that Durant was not able to check.
Felix Merquez has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Kevin Durant.
Merquez staying out of range there.
Merquez is looking to wear down Durant with body shots, infact he's throwing more body shots than head shots at the moment.
Durant wants to land a leg kick but Merquez is out of range.
Durant drops his hands momentarily and Merquez takes advantage with a crisp shot to the head.
Durant falls off balance throwing a combination
and Merquez cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Durant pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Durant misses with a body shot.
Durant defending well as Merquez loads up on a big left hand.
Durant throws a chopping leg kick but Merquez manages to avoid taking any serious damage.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Durant uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Merquez.
Merquez cracks a nice hook into Durant's ribs.
Merquez tries to clinch but Durant moves out of range.
Horrible takedown by Durant or perhaps it was just good defense by Merquez which made him look bad.
Felix Merquez is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
The fans in attendance giving it up for the two fighters, who have really let it all hang out in the last minute or so!
Merquez avoids a punch combination nicely.
Merquez misses with a body shot.
Merquez moves out of range of the leg kick from Durant.
Durant misses with a hook.
Nice cross by Merquez.
Durant keeping his hands up high there, blocking the jab from Merquez.
Merquez tries to clinch but Durant is having none of it.
Felix Merquez is winning the standup battle so far.
Merquez throws a quick inside leg kick.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Durant swings for the body but Merquez moves out of range.
Merquez feints and then cracks Durant's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Durant down.
Some wild striking there from Merquez.
Nice sprawl there from Merquez as Durant shoots in.
Durant misses with a series of wild punches.
Durant misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Merquez.
Durant misses the jab.
Merquez connects with a solid leg kick.
Durant is breathing heavily.
Merquez misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Nice defenses there by Merquez.
Durant avoids a lazy jab quite easily.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Durant swings for the body but Merquez moves out of range.
Merquez misses with a wild body shot.
Durant keeps the fight on the outside.
Durant staying out of range there.
Durant throws a head kick that misses.
Durant moves out of range of the leg kick from Merquez.
Merquez moves out of range of the leg kick from Durant.
Merquez throws a leg kick but he was too far away and it doesn't land.
Durant thows a left - swing and a miss!
Merquez takes a step towards his opponent and connects with a left hand, before circling away.
Kevin Durant seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Wooooo! Give it up for these two warriors! They are putting on a show!
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
A swing and a miss from Durant.
Merquez takes a really solid shot there but just smiles back and shrugs his shoulders.
Merquez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Durant.
Durant fails with a takedown attempt.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Felix Merquez dominated that second round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business. This is the final round!

Durant looks to score with a jab to the body but Merquez is just out of range.
Merquez attempts a leg kick but it's missed by a good margin.
Durant swings for the body but Merquez moves out of range.
Merquez lunges in with an uppercut that skims his opponent's chin.
Durant throws the left hand but Merquez avoids the punch easily.
A looping hook to the body misses from Durant. Merquez does a little dance to reset his feet.
Durant misses with a head kick.
A slow jab from Merquez misses its intended target.
Merquez throws a right hand that Durant ducks under and follows up with a left that Durant also avoids with ease.
Durant misses with a straight right.
Durant throws out a token jab with nothing on it.
Durant throws an overhand right that lands on Merquez's shoulder, as Merquez tries to avoid the shot.
Merquez misses with a low kick.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Durant throws a leg kick that misses.
Durant misses with a series of wild punches.
Durant misses with a looping right.
Merquez misses with a hook. Durant ducked under it nicely.
Merquez throws a right and a left that both miss.
Durant misses with a wild body shot.
Durant closes this distance looking for a takedown but Merquez circles away.
Durant swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Durant misses with a body punch
and Merquez counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
Durant throws a body kick that misses
and Merquez counters with a good low kick that Durant was not able to check.
Durant takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

Merquez moves into the clinch.
Merquez doesn't land with the attempted body shot.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Durant blocking some punches.
Merquez can't find room to land a body shot as Durant controls the action.
An uppercut on the inside fails to land for Durant.
Merquez dodges an elbow strike from Durant.
Durant avoiding damage as Merquez throws knees to the body.
Merquez stalling the fight.
Merquez blocking some punches.
Merquez tries to land a shot to the body but it's blocked.
Durant being controlled against the cage.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Merquez misses with a body punch.
Merquez lands a body punch - he's looking to wear down Durant.
Merquez throws a head punch that misses.
Merquez struggles to land a body shot inside as Durant controls his hands.
Merquez blocks a punch to the side of the head.

Merquez gets the body lock takedown. After a quick scramble, Durant regains guard.
Durant is working an open guard here, looking to improve his position. No doubt that will leave him open to counters but at least he's being more offensive.
Merquez wants to control from the top but Durant keeps moving.

That's four minutes gone in the round.

Durant looking for a guillotine here but Merquez defends easily.
Durant utilising some decent striking defenses from the guard, preventing the ground and pound.
Merquez is stalling in the full guard.
Merquez looking to pass the guard.
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Merquez trying to control but Durant is working from the bottom.

And that's the end of the fight!
Felix Merquez showed his dominance in that final round.
I think Merquez has won this one but let's see what the judges have to say. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Percy O'Donnell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Don Winkell scores the fight 29:28
Judge Frank Antenori scores the fight 29:28

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Felix Merquez!
An out of breath Felix Merquez thanked his loyal fans in his post fight interview, giving them credit for his success over the course of his career.